Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter or margarine, softened
1 pound powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
For the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line three 9-inch cake pans with wax paper and lightly grease and flour.
Mix together flour, soda, salt and cinnamon. Beat eggs, sugar and oil until blended. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Add vanilla and fold in carrots, pineapple, coconut and pecans. Divide mixture among pans. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
For the glaze, bring sugar, soda, buttermilk, margarine and syrup to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 4 minutes, stirring constantly until glaze is golden in color. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cool slightly.
For the frosting, beat cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating on low speed, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla.
To assemble: When cake layers are removed from the oven, drizzle the slightly cooled glaze over the warm layers. Cool in pans for 15 minutes then remove from pans. Peel wax paper off and invert layers, glaze side up. Frost with cream cheese icing between layers and on top and sides of cake. Top with chopped pecans, if desired. Chill for several hours before slicing.

Elk Minute Steaks6 to 8 elk minute steaks
Salt and pepper
Onion and garlic powder
Cayenne pepper
11⁄2 cups self-rising flour, divided
Shortening
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cups water
1 to 2 beef bouillon cubes
Sprinkle steaks with spices, dredge in 1 cup flour and fry in shortening until browned on both sides. Place steaks in a Crock-Pot. Add bell pepper and onion.
Drain skillet, leaving only a small amount of grease in the bottom. Combine remaining 1⁄2 cup flour and water and pour into skillet. Add bouillon cubes. Stir constantly with a wire whisk until slightly thickened over medium heat. Add a little more water if gravy is too thick. Pour gravy over contents in Crock-Pot. Cook on high for 2 hours or until steaks are tender.

One-Pot Meal1 head cabbage
1 onion, sliced
5 to 6 small potatoes, cut in chunks
5 to 6 carrots, cut in chunks
1 package smoked sausage, cut in chunks
Salt and pepper
Remove outer leaves from cabbage and remove core. Cut in chunks and place in bottom of a large pot and cover with water. Layer other ingredients with sausage on top. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until potatoes and carrots are tender. Serve with cornbread.

Pinwheels
4 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
1⁄4 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup self-rising flour
1⁄2 stick butter
1⁄3 cup milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
Place blueberries and 21⁄2 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add sugar and continue to boil until blueberries are tender. Combine cornstarch and remaining 1⁄2 cup water and mix until smooth. Add to boiling blueberry mixture, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Pour into a greased 8×8-inch baking dish and top with pinwheels.
For the pinwheels, combine 3 tablespoons brown sugar, cinnamon and pecans in a small bowl and set aside. Mix remaining tablespoon brown sugar and flour. Cut 1⁄2 stick of butter into flour until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Make a hole in the middle of flour mixture and add milk. Blend with a fork until dough is formed. Gently knead bread 10 to 12 times. Place on a floured surface and roll into a 12×6-inch rectangle. Brush dough with melted butter. Sprinkle pecan mixture over dough and roll up jelly-roll style, starting at the short end. Pinch seam to seal. Slice into six 1-inch slices and place on top of blueberry mixture. Bake at 350 degrees until pinwheels are browned.